


Secrets in Redgrave

by HastaLaPasta



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Angst, Angst and Romance, Ballroom Dancing, Demons, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Magic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Not a traditional Reader Insert, Romance, Suggestive Themes, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27250201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HastaLaPasta/pseuds/HastaLaPasta
Summary: “Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals.” -Robert Caro.It's not every day that Rosetta meets someone that makes her want to lose for once, but tonight wasn't particularly normal, now was it? Strange events follow one after another until Rosetta von Stein meets a mysterious stranger named "V," and he makes funny things happen in her chest that she's never felt before. While the night is young, the huntress enjoys being the hunted for once.
Relationships: Dante (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s), Dante (Devil May Cry)/Reader, Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry), Nico (Devil May Cry)/Original Character(s), V (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s), V (Devil May Cry)/Reader, Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Reader
Kudos: 4





	1. A Redgrave Ball

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is a pilot for an entire story beyond it. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep posting this or toss it in the bin. I'm also changing the timeline at the beginning of DMCV to add a week or two before the tree sprouts roots in Redgrave for plot reasons.

The cold evening air chilled Rosetta von Stein as she parked her motorcycle outside of the infamous Devil May Cry office. The shop's familiar pink neon sign glowing, and the lights in the main room were on, signaling that Dante was still awake, or at least in that room. Despite the signs of life on the premises, Rosetta still knocked on the door before turning the handle.

Dante was roused from his conversation with his latest client to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel." The hunter poked his head around the corner from where his sofa was, looking for who just entered his shop, even though he already knew who it was. Von Stein, a household name, stood a couple of feet from the door, staring at Dante expectantly.

"Sorry, I have to talk with my friend quick; I'll get right back to you." The hunter stood from his sofa and walked out towards the middle of the room.

"Von Stein!" He greeted her with his typical lady-killer smile. "It's good to see you." Dante held out his arms, asking for a hug.

Rosetta grinned back at the playboy. "Dante!" And instead of hugging the man, she instead gripped his right hand in a short but firm handshake. "Likewise, my friend. Have you been keeping well?"

Dante took the rejection in stride. "Oh, about as well as a guy without electricity and running water could be, but," He grimaced as he caught another whiff of himself. "Morrison came by and helped remedy that."

"Well, that's mighty kind of him. You know..." Rosetta's smile turned coy as she batted her eyelashes at the devil hunter. "You really should send him a thank you one of these days."

The devil hunter smirked down at Rosetta. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Rosetta brought a hand up to his chest, and teasingly ran it along his pecs. "Like..." She bit her lip enticingly only for a moment, then shifted her expression to something downright impish. "Taking on more jobs and paying off your debts to him and Lady."

She shoved the man lightly, as he was about to bring his own arm around her waist. Dante scoffed a bit, walked around to his desk, plopped himself into his chair, and propped his feet on top of his poor desk. "Is this what you're here for? Did Lady send you or something?"

Rosetta chuckled a little bit, knowing that she got him good. "No, actually, my father sent me." The huntress produced a small white envelope from her coat pocket that had "Dante" scrawled on it in her father's handwriting and tossed it onto Dante's desk.

The man rolled his eyes slightly and tore open the envelope and read over the invitation inside. Rosetta took this moment to look over at Dante's client. The man had raven black hair and black tattoos all over from the neck down. He had taken a seat on Dante's sofa when she came in and was reading out of a book with a gold leaf "V" printed onto its cover. The ravenette had a silver cane lying across his lap, and one hand was trailing down the page of the novel he was reading. His eyes were dark, and he had pouty lips. _"Heh,"_ Rosetta smirked inwardly. _"Teenage me would have swooned hard over a guy like that."_ The man looked up from his book, made eye contact with Rosetta, and smirked once he realized he had caught her staring. Had Rosetta been shyer, her face would have turned at least one shade of pink, but instead, she winked and turned her attention back to Dante.

When the hunter was finished reading, he squinted at the invitation then at Rosetta with incredulous skepticism. "So, Dollface, let me get this straight: your old man wants _me_ and other demon hunters to come to this little soiree of yours and take _your_ clients off of your hands? Is that right?"

This made Rosetta smirk a little bit. "Sounds about right." She pulled up a chair across from his desk and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "It's all in the interest of keeping these clients and future ones _alive_ , you see. There's been a ton more demon appearances lately; our team is going to be beyond overwhelmed, and if this keeps up, more people are going to die, Dante."

Said man tossed the invitation back down onto the desk towards Rosseta and pulled his boots off his desk. "I dunno, Dollface. I've been busy avoiding parties lately." As the demon hunter sighed, Rosetta knew that she was winning this discussion.

The huntress picked the invitation up from the desk, leaned over the wooden surface, pressed the card into the red devil's chest, and kept her hand there a moment. "Come to the party on Saturday, Dante. Snag some gigs; it'll be good for you, and I'll consider this a personal favor."

Dante brought up his own hand and covered Rosetta's briefly, and he smiled softly. "For a pretty girl like you, sure."

The woman pulled her hand away and smirked while rolling her eyes. "You're just calling me pretty 'cuz you know my daddy's got money." She placed her hands on her hips and stood confident with her short stature.

His soft smile remained. "Well, finances are a good motivator, but there's more to you than that." The hunter placed the invitation down on the desk. "Alright. I'm coming to your party."

Rosetta didn't know how to feel about that smile, but she didn't let that show on her features. "Thanks, Dante. Have a good evening."

"You, too, Dollface."

As the huntress turned the handle to the front door, she paused a moment. "Oh, by the way." She stopped to make sure she still had his attention. "The invitation says you can bring a plus one. You can bring a fellow hunter, a client, or whoever your heart desires."

"I can read, Dollface."

With that, Rosetta finally left. The cold air woke her half-demon senses right up as she hopped back onto her motorcycle and rode off into the night.

A few days later, Saturday rolled around, and the party at the von Stein Mansion was in full swing. Many different types of people showed up; devil hunters, wealthy clients, standard clients, and some people that came just for the festivities. It was a formal mandatory black-tie event, except for devil hunters wishing to advertise their mercenary services, they were allowed to wear their hunting gear.

Rosetta stood solitary by an ornate pillar in the main ballroom, sipping a glass of champagne in her left hand, and watching people mingle, drink, dance, and make business arrangements. The huntress had chosen a black dress that pulled in tight at her hips and thighs like a traditional pencil dress, but then it came loose down past her knees and ended at her ankles. While it was sheer along her arms, stomach, and part of her thighs, it was opaque and had lace and sequin patterns elsewhere. Rosetta had tamed her "devil may care" chestnut ringlets for this occasion, letting then cascade neatly down her back and over her shoulders, and put a touch of blood-red lipstick on her lips and gave herself a slight smokey eye.

As she was watching the guests, her demonic senses caught that she wasn't alone anymore. She turned her head slightly and caught sight of the ravenette from earlier in the week standing along the wall behind her. He was still dressed in the leather ensemble and reading that book as before, leading Rosetta to conclude that he might be a small-time devil hunter or the like.

The woman waited a while for him to say something. Still, when he didn't speak, she decided to start a conversation by grabbing a second champagne glass from a passing waiter and walking over to the mysterious stranger. Rosetta saw him glance up at her, and she smiled at him. She did so as she was taught to do for when she's fishing for information, not too big, just enough to make them wonder what you're smiling about. That desire to know will compel them to keep conversing with you as you pry their secrets from them right out from under their nose.

Rosetta handed him the fresh champagne glass, which he took after he put his book away. "Enjoying the party, stranger?" Her tone was smooth and natural as she teased him lightly.

The stranger smirked mysteriously and replied smoothly. "Well, I was. Until I noticed that a beauty such as yourself was sitting out on her lonesome, and I just couldn't let such an injustice stand."

_"Wow."_ Rosetta thought. _"This guy is smooth. He's got something in his sights."_ A blush rose to her cheeks that was mostly genuine, and she batted her eyelashes subtly, feigning bashfulness as the stranger took a sip from his glass of champagne. "Do you really mean that?"

The man replied with a short and light chuckle. "How could I not?" He downed the rest of his champagne, placed his glass onto a nearby end table, then extended his right hand out towards Rosetta. She expected him to shake her hand, but he surprised her by bringing her hand up to his lips and placed a quick peck upon her knuckles. "You can call me 'V.' What may I call you, Little Wanderer?"

Rosetta's flushed face intensified against her will as she replied. "Von Stein." It was at this point that the huntress realized that she was probably playing right into his game and becoming the hunted, but she found that she didn't mind as much as she usually would have.

V maintained a flirty, casual touch with his fingers brushing against her arm, and it was then that she noticed the magic singing just under his skin, a definite sign of a warlock. She couldn't tell if he could feel her own sorcerer blood singing back, but he stepped a little closer into Rosetta's bubble. "Do you have a first name, Little Wanderer? Or can I keep calling you that?"

She smirked and took some more control over the situation. "I have one, but everyone calls me 'von Stein.'" Rosetta looked up at him through her eyelashes. "But you can call me what you will." Her smile appeared sheepish as she tried to turn around the questioning. "How about you? Do you have a name other than 'V'?"

"No." Was his drawled out response, then he smirked after giving a far off location a thoughtful expression. "How about you give me one, Little Wanderer?"

This kind of surprised Rosetta, but she legitimately gave it some thought. After a couple of seconds, a little word shone in the back of her mind. "How about 'Vitale'? It's Italian for vital, and something tells me that it will apply to you."

V gave her a lightly surprised look at the thought she gave the nickname before his face shifted to amused. "That's unusually poetic and prophetic. Care to share your reasoning?"

Rosetta simply replied. "It's just a hunch. I can't tell who you are or will be important to, but you're incredibly important in some way, shape, or form. It's vague, but that's all I've got."

"Very well." His smile was still mysterious, but this time it was almost gentle. "I think I like it."

The orchestra picked up again after they were given a break to interact with the guests, and on reflex, Rosetta listened to catch what type of dances go with it. Everyone that was on the dancefloor was dancing to a medium-paced Waltz. Still, she didn't recognize the composer, not that she really subscribed much to classical music, with her genre preferences being jazz, rock, and original game soundtracks.

V took a step back and bowed low, extending his hand to her. "May I have this dance?" Rosetta thought about taking this opportunity to escape to get her bearings again, but then he looked up at her with those tantalizing green eyes and said. "Little Wanderer?"

It was then that Rosetta found herself spellbound. Not literally, but figuratively. She _wanted_ to know more about the mysterious and seductive "V," and here was her opportunity. She placed her hand into his outstretched palm. "Certainly."

With her consent, V whisked Rosetta away to the dance floor, and they flawlessly moved together to the music. As he dipped, swayed, and twirled his partner to the music, V took this opportunity to dig for information from the woman.

"So." He made sure to draw it out the way she liked. "Let's say I'm a demon slayer, but I'm not very well known. How would you suggest that I go about getting work from one of these clients here?"

Rosetta smiled at him coyly. " _Are_ you a demon slayer?"

"Let's pretend I am." His smirk awoke something new inside Rosetta that she would never admit was there.

The huntress grinned at his evasion. _"Alright. Let's see this game through to the end."_ The risk-taking part of her brain had the reigns now. "Well." She tilted her head slightly. "I know firsthand that it's pretty tricky to make a debut as a Devil Hunter and get your name out there."

V spun the woman out then back into his arms with a flourish and rocked her back and forth with her back pressed against his chest for a couple beats. "Indeed." He breathed that word right next to her ear before twirling her to face him once more. Rosetta willed herself not to blush and succeeded, for the most part.

That mysterious smile turned into a smirk when he noticed the slight blush that managed its way onto Rosetta's face as she attempted to carry on with her answer. "You won't want to try your chances with the big names like Dante's trying to; even The Legendary Dante is going to struggle to talk them up enough. No. What you should do is talk to anyone who isn't over by him right now." She gestured to the cluster of important men and women Dante managed to gather together, which also included her very own father. _"Silly Dante."_ Rosetta thought. _"They have contracts with us; you won't get anywhere with them. Someone should warn him."_

"You will want to try with, say, that group over there." Rosetta then pointed out a large gaggle of people that ran family businesses out of Redgrave. "I overheard them earlier. They have a few class-C jobs that you could snag with ease. Talk them up, mention your services, talk yourself up, if they want you to name a rate; over-shoot a little at first, then negotiate from there."

"I see." They enjoyed the music together again, swaying, twirling, and exchanging subtle touches. Rosetta couldn't see the gears turning in V's head as he worked out how to make this evening count in his head. "What if I told you, Little Wanderer, that I could go up to one of the most influential people in this room and get some work from them? What would you do?"

The expression on V's face was unreadable as Rosetta smiled smugly up at him. "Well, I'd tell you that you're welcome to try."

"Oh really?"

"Really." Then the risk-taking part of her brain retook the reigns of her reason. "In fact, I'll up the incentive to go try." Her grin widened. "If you get one job with written proof from them, you'll get one favor from me."

He quirked an eyebrow. "One favor?"

"One favor." Her teasing tone challenged him, and he's never been one to back down from a proper challenge. "Anything you want, I don't care how big or small it is, redeemable at any time. I'll do anything; helping with a bill, helping you lay low from trouble, you name it, it's done, but only if you can get a signed agreement from one of those people."

His expression became almost predatory. "What if what I want is a little more..." He let the hand on his dance partner's waist wander dangerously low. " _Carnal?_ "

To this, Rosetta huffed a light chuckle, gently moving his hand back up her waist. "Well, I guess I did say _anything_ ." She tilted her head at him and smiled. "Most people don't interpret my favors like _that_ , but maybe if you get me to want it enough, I'll accept it. I could also make you a nice dinner, wine and dine you, and go over the works of some of your favorite writers with you." She batted her eyelashes up at him. "I hope that also works."

"That works plenty well enough for me." His expression still looked like he was sizing up his prey. "And what will you want if I don't manage to get a job? Not that I won't succeed."

Rosetta hummed in thought. "How about." She drew out the words as she figured out what would please her. "I know! How about you will have to tell me a good story about your favorite color and it's adventures?"

This got a genuine chuckle out of V, a deep, rumbling sound. "What if I don't have a favorite color?" His smile was big and toothy and did funny things to Rosetta's stomach.

"Well, lucky you, you get to choose any color you wish, Vitale." Her smile was a little on the goofy side now. Somehow, she managed to bring down some of the walls separating them, and she liked every bit of what she was feeling with him. The feelings of want bubbling up, then simmering down, the genuine expressions, the lack of stilted pleasantries, the smooth gliding steps of their dance, and how their touch reacts to each other all made her desire more interactions with this mysterious man.

As the song ended, V dipped Rosetta down low, smirking down at her. "You're on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what? I feel good about posting this here. I'm going to keep posting when I can because I feel like getting this out into the open makes the creative process easier. Thank you for reading!


	2. A Tense Meeting

Rosetta felt her heart flutter as V smirked down at her, and she felt like this moment was frozen in time, but only for that moment. Of course, it had to come to an end when V pulled Rosetta back up into a standing position. Once more, the mysterious man pulled her fingers up to his lips to place another kiss on her knuckles before swaggering off to speak with the head of the von Stein family.

V already had business at this party with the man. He knew his name to be Kaine von Stein, husband of the witch and half-devil Rhoswen, but he was no ordinary man himself. Kaine von Stein was also a half-devil with a profound hatred for demons, with his father being one of the demons that fought alongside the Dark Knight Sparda. The pair founded their devil hunting company to exterminate any demons' appearances that threatened the values they believed.

V also knew Kaine to be a former friend of Vergil a lifetime ago, the pair shared a love for literature, and he knew that Kaine would most likely recognize the book of Blake's poetry he had in his pocket. He summoned his cane and tapped it along the floor as he stalked over to the man that now stood solitary on the grand staircase, observing his guests from this vantage point.

Kaine was not one to be taken by surprise in the history of probably ever, for he sensed the man with the demon metal cane making his way over to him long before he turned to acknowledge him. His smile was outwardly friendly and utterly genuine as he addressed the gothic hobo approaching his landing on the staircase. "Good evening!" The older man greeted; his voice was low and rumbling but had a jubilant ring to it. "Are you enjoying yourself, sir?" The reply he got from V made that smile slip from his face.

"'Cruelty has a Human Heart

And Jealousy a Human Face 

Terror the Human Form Divine 

And Secrecy, the Human Dress.'"

The mysterious stranger read that stanza from a book of poetry that Kaine was all too familiar with. The gold leaf "V" on the cover truly unsettled him. The burly man made his way down the steps to V, getting up close to his face with an unreadable expression.

"Vergil." His voice tremored just slightly. "Is that you?" Kaine's hand came up to firmly grasp V's shoulder and pulled him closer.

V huffed slightly, looking off before returning Kaine's intense stare. "Not exactly... You see, I am only a shadow of my former self." The ravenette could now see that Kaine's eyes held barely restrained rage.

The grip on V's shoulder got tighter as Kaine hauled the smaller man up the stairs and into a hallway. They took a few turns before ending up in a secluded corridor. To say that V wasn't slightly nervous would be a blatant lie, but he had business to attend to with his angry former friend.

Once they reached a quiet and dark study, Kaine all but tossed V in before entering for himself, locking the door behind him. Kaine was the first to speak this time. "I should kill you for everything that you've done. Your crimes in Temen-ni-gru would more than warrant that." V was made all too aware of the sidearm on the other man's belt. "And after all that you've done, you came into my home, touched my daughter, drank and ate my food... The audacity." Kaine fell silent as he restrained his rage.

V broke the silence. "And I would deserve death. But I cannot die tonight, for there are some far more pressing matters you and I both need to attend to." Kaine refused to look at him. He was staring at the wall next to him, probably finding a place where V's head would make a lovely decoration or merely contemplating the principles of punching a hole into it. "I would not have come if this matter was not so urgent, Kaine."

"You will address me as 'von Stein.'" The larger man glared at him intensely before he sighed, finally turning towards V. "What is it that you need, then?"

V was silent. "Goodness, Vergil... What have you done?" Kaine's voice trembled slightly. This time it was V who couldn't meet his gaze. "I have made a grave mistake, and many people will die because of it." He barely mustered the courage to make eye contact with Kaine. "Allow me to tell you the tale of my crime, Kaine."

Rosetta watched V with great interest as he swaggered off towards her father, especially as he summoned a cane made of demonic metal from a puff of blue flames and black smoke. She went over by a pillar to watch the exchange between the two men. _"Oh, God."_ She thought to herself. _"Is this what it feels like to be intensely attracted to someone because otherwise, I think I might be sick."_ Rosetta looked away to exchange pleasantries with another hunter as they passed by with their dance partner, but when she looked back up at her father, she could see that the encounter between him and her former dance partner was incredibly tense.

She was mildly concerned but figured that she would simply have to listen to him make up a tale about a color soon. Then Rosetta was surprised when her father began hauling V off up the stairs and down the hallway to the left. She knew that he couldn't possibly be kicking him out, as there was no exit that way, so she was left to wonder what was happening. Rosetta was distracted when Dante swaggered up to her and twirled her into a dance.

While Dante was not the biggest fan of classical music, he knew how to dance. The scruffy man enjoyed being over-the-top as he moved them swiftly and elegantly through the ballroom. Though Rosetta was no meek buttercup in his arms, her movements were vigorous, graceful, and added a feminine flair to this waltz. Rosetta could tell by the smell that Dante had been hitting the open bar hard, as his breath smelled of rum and bourbon.

"How do you like this tango, Dollface?" He asked in a teasing voice. Though he reeked, he was not drunk. Rosetta batted her eyelashes at him and gave him a coquettish smile. "Dante, sweety, this is a waltz."

"Oh, hoh!" He smirked. "So I'm 'sweety' now, huh? I think I like that."

Rosetta enjoyed it when Dante was in a playful mood since that typically meant that amusement and smiles were to be had. "Darling, you're drunk." She joked in the poshest diva voice she could muster.

"Drunk on you, Sweetcheeks." He was enjoying this encounter quite a bit. While he would usually back off of this type of banter quickly, it seemed his inhibitions were suddenly gone. Maybe it was because her father was no longer present and that her siblings didn't care who she was with so long as Rosetta wasn't harmed. "Come and give your sweety a smooch."

Dante dipped Rosetta low and brought his face close to hers but didn't close the distance. She deftly put her gloved finger over his lips and smiled. "Someone's awfully bold tonight, Dante, but I have to decline your invitation, for now."

Dante decided to turn her comment from the other night around on her. "Is it because I'm a poor man?" Rosetta gave him a gentle look and simply replied. "No. It's because you're my occasional work partner. I don't mix romance and work. Not often, anyway." Dante had pulled Rosetta back up to a standing position and continued dancing with her.

"Why 'not often,' instead of 'never'?" Dante asked. Rosetta gave him an almost sad smile as she answered. "Because I'm pretty sure if that tattooed hobo kissed me, I would have definitely fallen for him, at least a little bit."

The look on Dante's face was one of understanding. "So 'V' kinda came in and swept you off of your feet, Dollface?" Rosetta simply nodded. "Be careful with that one. He's definitely hiding something pretty big, and I don't want you to get hurt." As the song came to an end, so did their waltz.

"Thanks, Dante, but I can handle myself." Rosetta's smile quirked up into its usual smirk. "Besides, getting hurt is just another way to learn. And I think it's about time I get to know this part of myself."

They were still holding each other as they took this moment to think. "I'm, uh, sorry for throwing that at you, Dollface. I don't know what came over me."

Rosetta nodded. "I shouldn't have said practically the same thing to you the other day. I'm sorry too." She then gave him a cute smile. "Friends?"

Dante chuckled a little and smirked. He released Rosetta and kissed the back of her hand. "Friends." And with that, he was off.

The huntress made for the one empty balcony off of the main hall. Most guests did not notice it because of all of the potted plants framing the door frame and obscuring the balcony from view, making it look more like an open window from the inside. She breathed in the crisp night air. _"Man."_ She sighed. _"I'm such a brat. I should really watch myself more often. It's not cool to accidentally hurt your friends' feelings, Rosetta."_ And many more thoughts like these swirled around in her head.

As she was basking in self-reflection, something whispered in the back of her mind. _"Vitale. Find Vitale and your father."_ The little rose looked around, confused, but the voice repeated the name. _"Vitale. Vitale."_ Over and over. It was then that she sensed that something was wrong.

That was all the confirmation she needed. When her inhuman senses were going off, it meant that she needed to act, and fast. She briskly made her way down the main hall and slipped into a supply closet, where she accessed one of the dozens of secret hallways traversing the mansion. Rosetta easily followed the route that would take her to the side of the mansion she saw her father and V disappear to. She emerged in the maids' quarters and slipped out the door. The woman followed where her demonic senses were detecting her father, and she winded her way down the corridors until she came by one of the miniature studies in the estate.

She could feel her father's demonic energy surge, and she tried the door handle but found it to be locked. "Dad!?" Rosetta hollered through the thick wooden door. "What's going on!?"

"Go back downstairs, Rosetta!" Was his stern voice back through the door.

"What?" She was confused. Her father rarely called her by name in front of company, which meant that if V was still with him, he was indeed in danger.

"Go. Back. Downstairs." Kaine practically growled this order at his daughter. He also seldom used that tone with her.

"No way!" She yelled back. "I'm coming in!" With that, Rosetta stepped back and kicked the handle of the door, snapping the lock within with ease. She barged into the room and assessed the situation. At one side of the small study stood V, looking like he was getting ready for a fight, while on the other, the side closest to the door, was her father, pointing his gun at the man.

"Dad! Stop that!" She wedged herself between the two men, as Kaine's gun was level with her chest. "What's gotten into you?"

"Move aside." Her father growled. She could see from the look in his eyes that his demon half was starting to take over.

"I will not."

"Little Wanderer." V placed his hand on Rosetta's shoulder. "Please don't involve yourself in this; you will only get hurt." Kaine growled upon seeing this man place his hands on his daughter again.

"Rosetta Morgan von Stein. Move." He tried training his pistol on the man behind her, but she was busy making sure that he wouldn't get a clear shot through the blue hellfire she had summoned and surrounded herself with. The air became charged with magic, and Rosetta's chestnut ringlets began to float around her, and her amber eyes glowed brightly.

When Kaine couldn't get a clear shot at V, he eventually brought his pistol down. Even though he knew that Rosetta would heal if he shot her to get at the so-called "V," he couldn't bring himself to do it. That offense would be unforgivable not only to Rosetta but to himself as well. If it weren't for Rosetta, V would have some extra holes in his head.

"He only came up to you to catch a gig, father. Why are you so damn hostile?" She extinguished her flames as the men shared a look before her father got an evil glint in his eye. "You're looking for work, huh?"

V's throat immediately tightened, and the hand on Rosetta's shoulder tensed. "I'll get some work for ya." Kaine turned around and grabbed a pen and a pad of paper from the study drawer. He began scrawling something out. Rosetta took his shift in attention to take care of V.

The man had a bruise blooming on his bare shoulder and forearm, suggesting that her father had forcibly dragged him here. "Are you alright, Vitale?" She asked him quietly, but genuine concern had shown brightly on her features.

V smiled gently. "Worry not, Little Wanderer. I would have handled this situation on my own, but... Your assistance was also welcome. Thank you." They both turned their attention back to Kaine as he cleared his throat. "'Vitale?' Is that what you're going by now?"

"It's a nickname I gave him, dad. It's Italian for vital." She looked over her shoulder at V before smiling. "The spirits of time have recognized him as someone of importance. Killing him would most likely set forth a chain of catastrophic events." Rosetta looked pointedly at her father. "And in that case, I wouldn't mind adding 'estranging myself from my father' onto that list of events."

Kaine gave Rosetta an unamused look. "Is that so?"

"The spirits have never been wrong before." She did not address that she just told her dad that she would stop talking to her father over a man's death.

The older man sighed and handed the paper to Rosetta, who passed the paper right to V without reading it.

"You will get rid of this Qliphoth and this demon you're calling Urizen, and I will let you live. That's your payment." He smiled gleefully. "Any objections?" V smirked. "No."

"Rosetta." Kaine then addressed his daughter. "Lead him out of the party; I don't want him coming back."

"Gotcha." She hooked her arm around V's with a big smile and led him away. "Let's go, big guy. Before my dad changes his mind."

"Hey!" Kaine called after his daughter. She looked back at him from over her shoulder. "What are you going to do about this door?" Her father gestured to the broken lock.

Rosetta smirked. "You can pay for the repairs from my cut on this job." She giggled as she dragged V away, and her father finally cracked a smile. "Kids." He whispered to himself.

But that smile quickly melted from his face. "You watch yourself, Vergil."

Down the hall, Rosetta let go of V's arm, which was a precaution to make sure he didn't attempt to attack her father. "Vitale." She murmured as she looped them around the hallways until they reached the maids' quarters. "What was that all about?"

V winced as he responded. "Your father and I used to be acquainted and..." He looked down into the large amber eyes gazing up at him. "We didn't part on the best of terms." He changed his grip on his cane. "But I got what I came here for."

"And that is...?" Rosetta pressed him further.  
"Help." He couldn't meet her gaze as he looked down and studied the leather bracelet on his wrist. "There's a powerful demon that's going to resurrect, and I needed his word that he would respond to get survivors to safety when it does."  
The gears in Rosetta's head were turning. "And this demon... His name is Urizen?"

"... Yes." V finally met Rosetta's gaze, which looked comically determined.  
"Sounds like you're going to need my devil hunting services!" She smirked while V huffed a light chuckle. "I don't think I have the finances to pay you, Little Wanderer."  
Her smile stayed. "Well, you're in luck: I'm willing to do this gig pro bono."

Rosetta's gaze fell back to the bruises on V's shoulder and arm, then gestured for him to bring it closer to her. When he brought it forward, Rosetta tenderly gripped his elbow, and she prodded the marks lightly, and he hissed his breath in through his teeth. "Geez, he really manhandled you, huh?" The man offered her a lopsided smile. "I guess you could say that."  
Her fingers glowed with soothing magic as she ran it over his skin. "Well, let me get that all healed for you."

When V didn't object, she continued to massage the soothing glow in his arm until the bruises disappeared. The feeling was a little tingly, and he had to admit, it kind of turned him on. When she was finished, she ran her fingers down his arm before letting it go, and he let it fall to his side. "So..." She started with a goofy smile. "I suppose I owe you a favor now, huh?"

"Well, that was the agreement." V couldn't help but admire the huntress. Not only was she cunning and brave, but she had a tender side to her. "Since this party is ruined for both of us, how about we go to my place, and I can cook you some Baked Ziti, and we can drink some wine?" V liked this idea. "And don't forget about the part where we talk about our favorite authors." He smirked while offering his arm back to her to loop hers with his, which she did gladly.

V found her smile to be absolutely radiant. "Let's not waste any more time, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem I featured is "A Divine Image" by William Blake. Here's the full poem:
> 
> "Cruelty has a Human Heart  
> And Jealousy a Human Face  
> Terror the Human Form Divine  
> And Secrecy, the Human Dress 
> 
> The Human Dress, is forged Iron  
> The Human Form, a fiery Forge.  
> The Human Face, a Furnace seal'd  
> The Human Heart, its hungry Gorge."
> 
> And yes, I do believe V's kink is being loved, and you can't convince me otherwise.


End file.
